When you are first diagnosed or become sick or injured you don't think about finances but before long you realize it is a factor. For our family, my husband was immediately out of work. He went from an over $50,000 a year salary to nothing. It took over 8 months to be approved for federal disability, which was a SMALL portion of what he was making. Brian also had disability insurance at work which we highly recommend. You never know when you may need it. We also know that eight years later we are virtually free of medical debt because of God taking care of us! Pray for God to meet your need and I promise He will!

This approach won’t work for everybody, but those who live in close-knit communities might find some relief by sharing duties with neighbors or enlisting a local scout troop to handle yard work or read to the older adult. Paula Spencer Scott, author of

for both women. She adds that local meal programs or adult day care services might be available at low or no cost.

2. Hire help for yourself.

Scott says that for a relatively low cost, caregivers can hire help in the form of a personal organizer or personal concierge to run errands or handle yard work, which can free up time and energy for caregiving or other work or life responsibilities. Similarly, automating as many tasks as possible, such as grocery delivery and bill pay, can also free up time. And giving the caregiver a break is important: “You have to spend a little on respite time for yourself, even if it’s a few hours a week to get a massage or a haircut. That’s an expense many caregivers aren’t willing to make, but they’ll pay a bigger price for it later,” Scott says.

as well as health insurance and other benefits. She pointed out that 1 in 10 caregivers quits a jobs to provide full-time care to an elderly family member, which on average costs more than $300,000 in lifetime wages, Social Security and pension income.

4. Check up on public benefits.

Veterans (and spouses) might qualify for certain benefits, and other government programs, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicare Part D [prescription drug] Extra Help Program and Medicaid, are also available to those over age 65 or under the federal poverty limit. Lake recommends the website

Lake pointed out that long-term care can be complicated, and people with accumulated assets often must spend them first before qualifying for Medicaid coverage of nursing home or in-home care. An elder law attorney can often help caregivers better understand the current and future expenses and how to minimize them in the long run, she

said.

For many of you, you may be left as a widow or widower and not know what to do next. If you were not the one who handled the bills or finances for your family you may find yourself very overwhelmed and confused about what to do next. Do not let pride stop you or get in the way. That is a trick of the enemy! God wants you to seek help today from someone you trust who can show you what to do!

We have learned what to do and a lot of what NOT to do over the past 10 years. Please email us with questions. We know where to find the answers you need. If we can help you avoid some of the mistakes we made then this website is worth it!